All Blacks: Wallabies snubbing Dunedin for Bledisloe Cup rugby test

Tatafu Polota-Nau at a Wallabies training session. Photosport

By Steve Hepburn

The Wallabies have become the latest visiting team to spurn the delights of Dunedin - instead deciding to do the bulk of their build-up for next week's Bledisloe Cup test at a golf course about 360km north of the Octagon.

The opening Bledisloe Cup test is set for Sydney on Saturday night, and the second clash between the sides is at Forsyth Barr Stadium the following Saturday.

The All Blacks will travel to Dunedin this Sunday but will not leave Sydney until late afternoon and not arrive in the South until 11.30pm on Sunday.

But that is still well before the Australians who will not arrive in Dunedin until late on Thursday night.

The Wallabies will head across the Tasman on Monday but, instead of coming straight to Dunedin, have opted to stay at the Clearwater Resort in Christchurch.

The resort is home to a championship golf course but also has other facilities including a gym and nearby playing fields.

It is also close to Christchurch Airport.

The Wallabies will spend three days at the resort before heading to Dunedin late on Thursday, arriving in the South just after 6pm.

They will have one captain's run at the covered stadium on Friday before the game on Saturday.

The side will then leave Dunedin before lunch the next day so will be in the city for not even three days.

The Wallabies are just mirroring what is becoming an increasing trend for overseas sides coming to Dunedin - training elsewhere before heading to the city a day or two before the game kicks off.

When the Wallabies played in Dunedin in 2013, the team stayed in Queenstown for two days before bussing to Dunedin on the Friday, the day before the game.

The Wallabies were beaten 41-33 in that test

Last year, Wales stayed in Wellington for a week, not coming to Dunedin until the Thursday before the game.

Wales coach Warren Gatland said as the side had a midweek game in Hamilton before the test in Wellington it had not had a long time together so opted to stay and train together for longer in Wellington.

Wales ended up being thrashed by the All Blacks 46-6 under the roof.

Before that, teams such as the Springboks and England have stayed away from Dunedin for the week and only come to Dunedin two days before the game.

Gatland changed his mind this year and the British and Irish Lions and its large touring party of more than 80 all came to Dunedin for the match against the Highlanders.

Overseas Super Rugby sides also tend to give Dunedin the thumbs down when games are played at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Most South African sides are here on tour so spend the bulk of their times in between games at a resort, mostly in Queenstown and arriving in Dunedin a day before the game.

This year the Stormers bucked the trend and spent the bulk of the week before the game under the roof in Dunedin.

It did not help though as the Cape Town-based side was well beaten 57-14 by the Highlanders.